The INTERPOL Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates has arrested Mohammed Hassan Barau and extradited him to Nigeria on September 27, 2023, for defrauding Akinola Bayo Michael of N492,750,000.
According to the Force spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, while parading some suspects in Abuja, the arrest was sequel to a complaint filed by Michael, who, in October 2021, sought to obtain foreign exchange (forex) to purchase a machine from the Netherlands.
He explained that Michael sent N492,750,000 to the bank account of Mohammed Sulaiman and instead of facilitating the forex transaction as agreed, Sulaiman transferred the funds to another individual, Mohammed Hassan Barau.
Adejobi explained, “Mr. Hassan Barau, who resides in the United Arab Emirates, subsequently sent 513,000 Euros to Mr. Michael from Belgium, supposedly for the forex transaction. However, this transaction was flagged as fraudulent, leading Mr. Michael to return the funds to the sender. Realizing that he had been a victim of fraud, Mr. Michael made multiple attempts to recover his money but was unsuccessful. The case took a significant turn when it was assigned to INTERPOL which launched an investigation into the matter. Recognizing the severity of the fraud and its international dimension, INTERPOL placed the prime suspect, Mr. Mohammed Hassan Barau, on a red alert list, thereby facilitating international cooperation in tracking and apprehending the suspect.
“We are pleased to inform you that Mr. Mohammed Hassan Barau was arrested by INTERPOL Abu Dhabi and subsequently extradited to Nigeria on 27th September 2023. His extradition marks a crucial milestone in the pursuit of justice for Mr. Akinola Bayo Michael. The successful extradition of Mr. Mohammed Hassan Barau demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies, both within and outside Nigeria, to ensuring that perpetrators of criminal activities, particularly those with international ramifications, are held accountable for their actions.
“This case underscores the importance of vigilance and due diligence in financial transactions, especially in the era of increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes. We urge individuals and businesses to exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of financial transactions to prevent falling victim to fraud.”
In another development, the police paraded Peace Ekom Robert for defrauding Ifeanyiwas Anthonia Ugoh of over 55,000 Euros.
Adejobi explained that Ifeanyiwas Anthonia Ugoh filed a complaint against Peace Ekom Robert saying on January 30, 2023, Ugoh communicated with Peace Ekom Robert, indicating that she had access to a significant sum of 600,000 Euros for forex trading.
According to Adejobi, in response, the suspect claimed to have a client requiring 780,000 Euros.
Adejobi stated, “To verify the authenticity of the suspect and her client, Mrs. Ugoh arranged for her client to make payments totaling 55,000 Euros in two installments. Subsequently, the suspect provided an account balance statement, allegedly showing a remarkable 5.3 billion Naira, demonstrating her client’s financial capacity for the transaction. However, after conducting due diligence, Mrs. Ugoh discovered that the account balance statement provided by the suspect was forged. When she sought to recover the 55,000 Euros or its Naira equivalent, the suspect falsely claimed that the account had been flagged by INTERPOL, even resorting to threats to dissuade Mrs. Ugoh from involving the police.
“Undeterred, Mrs. Ugoh reported the matter to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Lagos, leading to the arrest of the suspect, Peace Ekom Robert. A friend of hers, one Hon. Ndiana-Abasi, in a bid to broker peace between the parties voluntarily paid the sum of 15,000,000 (Fifteen Million Naira) of the total Naira equivalence of N42,900,000. Subsequently, Peace Ekom Robert was granted bail under the condition that she would pay the outstanding balance of 27,900,000 Naira in two installments, as witnessed by Hon. Ndiana-Abasi. Regrettably, the suspect failed to fulfill this commitment and absconded, evading the legal process.
“In a twist of events, the suspect petitioned the Inspector General of Police, resulting in the case being forwarded to the NPF National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC). Recognizing the similarity of cases involving the suspect, the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) was assigned to harmonize the investigations. The suspect later attempted to arrange a meeting with Mrs. Ugoh to reconcile, but upon arrival, Mrs. Ugoh, accompanied by police officers, discovered that the suspect had come with officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to apprehend her. After realizing that the police were coordinating the case harmonization with the EFCC, the suspect ceased contact with them.
“Peace Ekom Robert was thereafter declared wanted alongside Ndiana-Abasi who came forward and clarified his position in the matter and was thereupon cleared by the Police. The suspect, Peace Ekom, was apprehended on 22nd September in Abuja after months of evading arrests. It has come to our attention that additional complainants with similar cases against her have started to come forward. We are committed to conducting thorough investigations, and upon the conclusion of our inquiries, the suspect will be brought to face legal consequences. We take this opportunity to encourage other victims of the suspect’s fraudulent activities to come forward and cooperate in the harmonization of investigations. This collaborative effort is pivotal in ensuring that justice is served.”
Adejobi also revealed that two members of a criminal syndicate led by Ismaila Ayedade specialising in perpetrating fraud against both serving and retired police officers, specifically the Personal Assistant to very senior police officers or the Director in charge of promotion at the Police Service Commission. The two arrested are Nura Mohammed and Abubakar Iliyasu.
The group uses various tactics to deceive their victims and in most cases, claim to be acting on behalf of high-ranking officers, promising promotions, postings, or even exoneration from disciplinary actions in exchange for monetary payments.
Adejobi said, “They have also used the guise of auctioning SUV vehicles to entice victims. To date, this criminal syndicate has successfully defrauded both retired and serving police officers of over 100 million naira through various fraudulent schemes. They utilize different phone numbers and bank accounts to avoid detection. While the principal suspect, Ismaila Ayedade, remains at large, we have made significant progress in this case. Nura Mohammed and Abubakar Iliyasu have been apprehended and are currently in police custody.”
“Ismaila Ayedade, the prime suspect in this case, is now officially declared as wanted by the Nigeria Police Force. We call on anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to come forward and assist in his apprehension. The arrested suspects, Nura Mohammed and Abubakar Iliyasu, will be charged in court soon to face the full weight of the law. We strongly caution all police officers, both serving and retired, as well as members of the public to exercise extreme caution when engaging in discussions or transactions that involve pecuniary obligations. Always verify the authenticity of such requests through official channels, and adhere strictly to the due process of internal control and supervision within the Force”, he concluded.
